Moviment Graffitti has become aware that the Government of Malta is currently considering enacting a law that would bind all low-income workers to join a union. As a leftist organisation, we believe that in principle this would be a good initiative, with the main goal of affording workers the possibility to be part of a union and hence, protected by it and participant in its actions.

Many workers in Malta are not unionised, especially workers who are employed in low-income jobs (at around 11% back in 2018 for the food and retail industry were unionised). Mandatory unionisation would provide guaranteed protection, especially to those workers who are currently facing exploitative workplaces, contracts and poor levels of health and safety. It is common knowledge that many workers in low-income jobs may be afraid or discouraged to join a trade union. Moreover, we hope that by being part of a union workers will find the courage to fight for their rights and participate in collective bargaining.

However, we also believe that union membership on its own will not eliminate exploitation and indecent conditions of work.

We are aware that this proposal could lead to the creation of phantom unions. Employers might coerce low-income workers to join phantom unions – set up by themselves or in agreement with third-parties – or enter collective agreements which benefit them more than the workers. If the proposed mandatory unionisation is passed, the law should prohibit employers from creating such unions and establish systems to prevent and detect such abuse. Government should also implement regulations and policies to enhance the strength of collective agreements and introduce sectoral agreements.

Moviment Graffitti has consistently tasked the government with revising employment laws in Malta. Particularly, we believe that Third Country Nationals (TCN) who are currently at the mercy of their employers should have better protection and working conditions. It is unacceptable that TCN workers’ residency permits are completely tied to their employment and issued for one year only. The proposed mandatory unionisation will be ineffective if this draconian law is not scrapped or heavily revised. On the 1st of May of this year, when launching our campaign Justice for Workers, we demanded that government should remove administrative measures that were leaving many migrant and TCN workers susceptible to exploitation. Mandatory unionisation alone will not address the forced vulnerability of TCN workers created by current unjust laws regulating their residency in Malta.

Thereby, although Moviment Graffitti agrees in principle with mandatory unionisation for low-income workers, it believes that government should develop a strong legal framework that upgrades and protects the rights, pay and conditions of workers in Malta. Workers have to be at the centre of this proposal, by giving them a strong voice and protection at the workplace.

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Is-sħubija mandatorja fil-unions hija pożittiva, imma għandha tkun parti minn tisħiħ usa’ tad-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema

Il-Moviment Graffitti sar jaf li l-Gvern ta’ Malta bħalissa qiegħed jikkunsidra jgħaddi liġi li biha l-ħaddiema kollha bi dħul baxx ikunu msieħba awtomatikament f’union. Bħala organizzazzjoni xellugija, nemmnu li bħala prinċipju din inizjattiva tajba, bl-għan ewlieni li l-ħaddiema jkollhom l-oppotunità li jkunu parti minn union u għalhekk ikunu protetti minnha u parteċipi fl-azzjonijiet tagħha.

Ħafna ħaddiema f’Malta mhumiex imsieħba f’union speċjalment ħaddiema li huma mpjegati bi qliegħ baxx (madwar 11% fl-2018 fl-industrija tal-ikel u l-imnut kienu f’union). Sħubija f’union mandatorja tipprovdi protezzjoni garantita, speċjalment lil dawk il-ħaddiema li qegħdin jiffaċċjaw sfruttament fuq ix-xogħol, kuntratti u livelli ħżiena ta’ saħħa u sigurtà. Huwa fatt magħruf li ħafna ħaddiema f’xogħlijiet bi dħul baxx jafu jibżgħu jew ikunu skoraġġuti milli jissieħbu f’union. Barra minn hekk, nittamaw li bħala membri ta’ union, il-ħaddiema jsibu l-kuraġġ biex jiġġieldu għad-drittijiet tagħhom u jipparteċipaw fin-negozjar kollettiv.

Iżda nemmnu wkoll li sħubija f’union waħedha mhux se telimina l-isfruttament u l-kundizzjoniet tax-xogħol indiċenti.

Nafu li din il-proposta tista’ twassal għall-ħolqien ta’ unions fantażma. Min iħaddem jista’ jġiegħel lill-impjegati bi dħul baxx biex jissieħbu f’dawn il-unions fantażma – imwaqqfa minnhom stess jew ma’ terzi – jew jidħlu fi ftehim kollettiv li jibbenifika iktar lilhom milli lill-ħaddiema. Jekk is-sħubija mandatorja tgħaddi, il-liġi trid tipprojbixxi lil min iħaddem milli joħolqu dawn it-tip ta’ unions u tistabbilixxi sistemi li jipprevjenu u jidentifikaw dan l-abbuż. Il-Gvern irid ukoll jimplimenta regolamenti u politiki biex iżid is-saħħa tal-ftehimiet kolletivi u jintroduċi l-ftehimiet settorjali.

Il-Moviment Graffitti ilu jitlob lill-gvern biex jirrevedi l-liġijiet tax-xogħol. B’mod partikolari nemmnu li dawk li ġejjin minn pajjiżi terzi li bħalissa jiddependu totalment fuq min iħaddimhom, għandu jkollhom protezzjoni u kundizzjonijiet ta’ xogħol aħjar. Mhux aċċettabbli li l-permess ta’ residenza għal ħaddiema minn pajjiżi terzi huwa kompletament marbut mal-impjieg tagħhom u jinħareġ għal sena biss. Is-sħubija mandatorja f’union ma tkunx effettiva jekk din il-liġi inġusta u bla sens ma tiġix eliminata jew riveduta drastikament. Fl-1 ta’ Mejju ta’ din is-sena, meta nedejna l-kampanja tagħna Ġustizzja mal-Ħaddiema, sħaqna li l-gvern għandu jneħħi l-miżuri amministrattivi li qegħdin iwasslu għall-isfruttament ta’ ħaddiema immigranti u dawk ġejjin minn pajjiżi terzi. Sħubija mandatorja f’union waħedha mhijiex ser tindirizza l-vulnerabbiltà tal-ħaddiema barranin minħabba l-liġijiet preżenti li jirregolaw ir-residenza tagħhom fil-pajjiż.

Għalhekk, filwaqt li l-Moviment Graffitti jaqbel mal-prinċipju ta’ sħubija mandatorja f’union għal ħaddiema bi dħul baxx, jemmen li l-gvern irid joħloq qafas legali b’saħħtu li jaġġorna u jħares id-drittijiet, il-kundizzjonijiet u l-pagi tal-ħaddiema f’Malta. Il-ħaddiema jeħtieġ li jkunu fiċ-ċentru ta’ din il-proposta, billi jkollhom vuċi soda u protezzjoni fuq il-post tax-xogħol.